WASHINGTON -- A bipartisan group of four House leaders has moved to restore several health benefits for older Americans that were included in the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act that Congress repealed last year.

The benefits, which had been sought by health groups and the elderly, include breast cancer screening, respite care for those staying with the elderly and expanded hospice and home health care.

They would be financed by an 80-cent increase in monthly Medicare premiums. ``While we are all aware of the controversy that led to the demise of the Medicare catastrophic coverage program, there was little controversy over the four benefits included in the proposed bill,`` said Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., who is chairman of the Ways and Means subcommittee on health.

The original legislation, intended to protect older Americans against the high cost of major illness, was repealed after the protests of thousands of better-off older Americans over a surtax they paid to help finance it.

The American Association of Retired Persons said it viewed the proposed increased premium in the new proposal as ``an extraordinary step that is acceptable only because the premium increase in this case is so small.``

Lovola Burgess, vice president of the AARP, applauded the bill.

Stark was joined in sponsoring the measure by Rep. Bill Gradison of Ohio, the ranking Republican on the subcommittee; Rep. Henry A. Waxman, D-Calif., the chairman of the Energy and Commerce subcommittee on health, and Edward Madigan of Illinois, the ranking Republican on the subcommittee. The bill has 99 co-sponsors.

The proposed measure, the Medicare Benefit Improvements Act, would raise the Part B Medicare monthly premium to $29.40 from $28.60.

Although the bill has the broad support of health groups and groups representing the elderly, some members of Congress say they oppose a piecemeal restoration of the defunct major care bill. They say they favor a more deliberative examination of the problems of health care for the elderly.

Rep. Brian J. Donnelly, D-Mass., who led the effort to repeal the coverage for major illness, objected to the mandatory increase in the Part B premium for fear it would touch off protests.

Breast cancer screening is not provided under Medicare, which already benefits some disabled younger people.

WHAT`S COVERED

Health benefits that would be restored under the proposed bill:

-- BREAST CANCER SCREENING: Would cover a first screening for women 35 to 39 years old and screenings every two years for those 40 to 49, except for women determined to be at high risk, who would receive annual screenings. Annual screenings would also be covered for women 50 to 64.

-- HOSPICE AND HOME CARE: Would remove the ceiling on hospice care for the terminally ill, permitting such care beyond the current limit of 210 days. It would also cover home health care seven days a week for up to 38 days, compared with the current maximum of five days a week for up to three consecutive weeks.

-- RESPITE CARE: Would provide up to 80 hours of respite care a year to those dependent on a voluntary caregiver and who had annual out-of-pocket expenses exceeding $1,780.